extreme emotions

Fight Club is a movie that blew my mind when I saw it. Returning from movie, me and a car full of my friends dissected the movie in as many philosophical slants as we could come up with. Exclaimed over tiny details we thought no one else had seen.

I put the movie on this afternoon after a long spell of not seeing it. And the first thing that struck me is the scene of Edward Norton at the men with testicular cancer support group. He hugs Meatloaf and finds himself crying like a baby. He says he "let go" and that night, slept for the first time in weeks. Edward Norton's character then decides to attend as many support groups as he can. Why? Not because he's "hit rock bottom" as the movie goes on to claim. No no.

Because he found a place to cry.

Now this seems so obvious to me, but this piece of info has never jumped out at me before. The fact that men cry together, are vulnerable together in the opening of this most manly of man's movies. I see this as huge now. Huge.

Maybe it's because I just finished reading Self Made Man by Norah Vincent, which really changed the way I see the meaning of feminism and the role of the traditional man. Or maybe it's some shit I'm going through in my personal life. Whatever it is, something made me see that preceding the violence in this movie and quickly swept aside is the biggest thing supposedly separating men from women - emotions. Knowing your emotions, naming them, sharing them, and learning from them.

Emotions.

Seriously, when's the last time anyone out there has seen a man cry? Or if that is too "extreme," what about a man who initiated a conversation about his feelings? Oh oh, to push it even more, has anyone heard of a man doing either of those things with a GUY friend?

WTF!?@#?$ (female rant)

There are pads for thongs...

There are PADS for THONGS......need I say anything more? Okay yes, I will say more. (i wish this picture showed how SLIM they are and how TINY the box they come in is. I saw it on a random C.V.S. stop)

When I am having my monthly visit from Aunt Flo, or the crimson tide, or my period - or how about moon cycle, the curse, bloody hell, wearing red shoes, whatever you feel good using to name your menstrual cycle (go here for some more fun names) - I usually am not thinking hm, how am I going to wear a pad AND that thong that goes up my ass and barely covers my girls even when I'm not bloated and feeling like all I want to do is sleep?

Thanks tampax and all you other pad creating companies for thinking of women's needs in the creation of this oddity. Ladies, I could be wrong. Maybe I am the only woman out here who doesn't wear thongs ESPECIALLY when I am bleeding. Are there times where you wished you'd had a thong pad? Even if I were going to a wedding in a really nice dress, I'd still opt for full underwear coverage and a regular tampon. I just can't think of a time where this absurdity would be necessary for me.

Share your thoughts...if there's still anyone out there.

Uncalled for

In today's Boston Globe, a small article on page A2 caught my eye, it's headline blazing "Neo-Nazi group joins clean-up program." (Kansas City, MO)

Seriously?

White supremacists must be desperate over falling pledge numbers because they're move to get their name on roadside signs seems...down right funny. If that is what they think it takes to get recognition...for keeping a mile of highway clean, um, ok...On the other hand, I do find it hard to believe that the court had to let them do this due to first amendment rights. There's nothing in the constitution about extremist groups and their propaganda?

On a more chipper note, I've got a lot to say about my trip to Nicaragua, so I am writing about it in another forum. If anyone is interested, I'll send you the link personally.


PEACE Y'ALL!

Just In

Just finished reading two of the most WONDERFUL Young Adult novels. One is a full on graphic novel and the other is quite literally the literature version of mixed media painting.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Coraline. Read them both in one night only so they are not time consuming. The graphics in each are both very different styles, but both add a level of engaging with that text that enhances the story. There was one picture in the Hugo book that took my breath away with its ability to capture the feeling in a shared look between two characters. The author was also the illustrator/media includer and the drawings are simple, black and white pencil drawings...even more incredible for the depth they contain.

The images in Coraline are full color and range from beautiful and flowing to jagged and disturbing. All integral to certain affects/effects/and situations happening in the story. Both are MUST READS!

Hope is not a Four Letter Word

This book and this author have helped me to discover that I and my ideas are indeed American, political, and PATRIOTIC. Why has it taken me this long to realize it? Why have I felt like a social minority most of the time, unable to feel like most of the country would even care about the same things? Oh, I don't know, maybe because there was a nut in office for eight years who made monumental decisions reflecting the exact opposite of anything I would hope or dream of for this country...yeah, that could most likely be a factor. But now...the end is in sight and the time has come for a new person to step in that role and hold the future of America in his hands (it will be nice one day when I can REALLY say his or her hands...next time Hilary, next time).

America stands on the brink of a new era and a new chance for change. I feel vulnerable, naive, and even a bit mushy for placing so much hope on this election, on one man, because the last time I did, my hopes were dashed along with most other Americans and their ideas of the American dream, justice and democracy. Some how, out of the ashes and ruin of the past two election processes my hope rose again and I cast my fears aside to try to change the future fate of this country. My NH absentee ballot arrived at my door last week and I practiced my right to elect the head of this government.

Barack Obama, crazy illegal aunt and all, you got my vote. Joe Biden, you'd be a good stand in so I have full confidence in you as the second in command of this country. Please fellas, PLEASE show this country the possibilities we can achieve when we are UNITED. Please show other countries the hope, the innovation, and the forward thinking that America can have once again. Unlike the goon and his entourage that are leaving office, who took 9.11. and used it to drive our company so far into fear that we have nothing else left, please PLEASE use this critical point in time to show the world just how wonderful America can be. We are on the verge of disaster and either we can keep heading for it or we can start to try something new.

I am tired of being part of a fear campaign. I am tired of feeling disconnected from the rest of the world. And most of all, I am tired of feeling apathetic, hopeless, and like there is NOTHING we can do to fix the mess we are in. I want to hear messages that inspire me and others to think of NEW WAYS of trying even harder to fix this planet and to fix this country. As Friedman says, it is not about Homeland Security and it's rainbow color alerts, we need more than the focus on "the war on terrorism." America, let's shift to


CODE GREEN.

By taking the lead, by living the example of how to begin solving this generations' biggest challenge, America would be "creating the tools, systems, energy sources, and ethics that will allow the planet to grow in cleaner and more sustainable ways" for the world to see and follow. America has set the example thus far and look what it has gotten us - a world full of other countries attempting to reach a middle class American lifestyle, but with no regard to the costs to the planet. Just. Like. Us. But this does NOT have to be the legacy America leaves. There is time and a chance to START NOW so that what happened on 9.11. and in all the days between can be leading us somewhere and not leaving us at a stand still...as other countries move on and forward and ahead. I want our country to matter to us and to the world again, to part of "restoring and revitalizing something [I] cherish but feel is being degraded" (Friedman, 9).

No matter who steps into the white house after tomorrow, the job on their desk blotter is one of enormous proportions. The new president, full of new ideas and new methods for change, will be faced with a MESS to fix before any new ideas can even happen. Let this not defeat him, or defeat the American people and their support of him, or lead everyone into apathy once more. Instead, we need to continue the momentum and hope and enthusiasm that has brought us to tomorrow's election day and keep it going to support our new President and to bring new life to this country. We need to hold him accountable as we have not held others in the past, and we need to be a part of creating this new change in every way we can.

The Post I Never Wrote.

Last year at this exact time I considered writing "The Post," the post about my sep 1.1.t.h experience. Wait, that makes it sound as though my experience was something either profound or just as scary as the events themselves, and no, my experience was not either of those things. For some reason though, that day a year ago when I sat down at the computer and tried to think of how to begin talking about Sep 1.1.th, words just didn't come to mind. But I feel...compelled to in some way acknowledge that day last year, all the Sep 1.1.ths in between, and today, Sep 1.1th. In sep of 2.0.0.1 I was living and studying in Bath, England. This is what I remember of my day on Sep 1.1.th, 2.0.0.1.

My then British boyfriend Stefan and I were at Bath University playing badminton. He kicked my ass; he seemed as good as Zhang Ning, the Chinese gold medal winner of badminton, at least to me. I was running all over the court, sweaty, panting and red faced. When we left, we decided to walk back as the day was a perfect Fall day - bright sunshiney blue sky puffy cloud day. Bath University is situated on a MASSIVE hill within walking distance of the central downtown area, so it is a gorgeous walk down this wooded, steep road winding around and around with beautiful homes lining the way.

Here is a very intimate secret I'll share because it was part of this day's revelations for me - I had not dated many men by this point in my life, nor been as physically attracted or turned on by any I had. Stefan was the first guy I felt really comfortable with physically. This informed my thoughts, the way I carried myself, and all the decisions I made while I was in Bath. Walking down that hill, his hand in mine, I'd never felt so lucky to be alive as I did then. So lucky to have someone who made me feel the way I did and who was also happy to be with me. And also so fit and healthy and young. At one point I dragged him off the road into a wooded field so we could make out beneath the shade of the trees before we continued home.

Walking into my flat, everyone was gathered in the basement in front of the tv. Stefan and I were in a jovial, playful mood and didn't quite pick up on the horror or concern written on the faces of my other flat mates. They quickly filled us in, all five of them at once. Nothing made sense. One stopped everyone else and said, "Two planes hit the w t centers in N.Y.C." Stefan made the flippant remark,"Big deal?" Chaos exploded as all five now started yelling, explaining, and crying at his ignorant, but innocent remark. I had to say, wait wait, what do you mean? explain this again, what does this mean?, several times before anything stuck. And what totally threw me off was that I couldn't quite figure out when this had happened! Because of the time delay (a 6 hour difference, England being ahead) my mind was trying to wrap around whether this was still happening or had it happened 6 hours ago? Or yesterday? How new was this news?@#@ I walked Stefan back upstairs, giving him the reprimanding last comment of "Yeah Stefan, uh, I think this is a way bigger deal than you realized." I said it to alleviate my own guilt at how happy and consumed I'd been in myself and in Stefan while this horror had been happening. Then I joined my flat mates in front of the television where we stayed for the rest of the day.

I remember how they replayed the planes crashing into the buildings for what seemed like hours straight...with no new news for us to understand what ELSE might be happening. And then when the other plane crashed, we just got more and more frantic. Periodically someone would try to make an out of country call, but would be informed that all lines were unavailable. We could only imagine everyone abroad with anyone in N.Y.C or anywhere in the U.S., was just like us at that moment - trying to reach their loved ones.

The news broadcasters did say something like reaching people would be difficult for the next few days as the country tried to also cope with what had happened in the U.S. and the overwhelming communications of people trying to respond. Tony Blair gave one of the most moving and beautiful speeches of sympathy and support during the following weeks. This was at his heyday, when he was still England's beloved Labor Party leader, making changes and listening to the people. I felt so lucky to at least be in another country where I still felt safe, respected, and understood by its citizens. We'd lived in a residential area in a house amongst homes owned by British residents. We'd not had many chances to meet anyone. But in this time period, our neighbors put cards and notes through our mail slot telling us how sorry they were and how they hoped our loved ones were ok. They offered help, food, support, whatever we might need as they knew we were all just a bunch of college kids away from home during a very scary time.

At some point I did reach my parents and everything was fine with them and my immediate family; we didn't know anyone in the city at that time. We were very lucky not to lose someone that day. But we all lost something that day, everyone of us as U.S. citizens lost something that day.

For the times before it happened, and for the times that have come since, I write this post to remember. To remember what we lost and yes, I guess, to recognize what we may have gained as well.

Check Out a Book Near You

Did you know this is National Get a Library Card Month? Well...IT IS! If you don't have one, check out your local librarian (and no, I don't mean the person's rear end, but the building he or she is working in!) and see what awesome resources are contained therein.

How do I know such glorious and pertinent information? As I was perusing the school library's copy of American Libraries, I came across not only that juicy morsel of info, but also an article on public outreach for libraries across the country. Carnegie Melon just dumped $270,000 into the ALA (American Library Assoc.) to boost public awareness. Why?

Because librarians are losing their jobs all over the country. Just as art and music were the first to get the axe before with governmental budget cuts, now that they are all gone, it's on to the "useless" librarians. There is currently an addition in the works to the No Child Left Behind act that would ENSURE all schools have media specialist librarians within them. For more info visit www.ilovelibraries.org and read more on contacting your local congress people about adding the SKILLS bill to the No Child Left Behind Act/Law/Mandate, whatever it is called. The sad fact is that if every congress person does not support this addition, it will not happen...and then I'm $22,000 in the hole with a Masters degree to...no job land.

What is more important to me though then having a job is children having the valuable resource that is a librarian. For children having a safe place to go and learn or just to be quiet and alone that is a library. When I was in elementary school, I loved the safe haven that was my school library, as well as my town library. And the librarians knew me by name and trusted me enough to let me help out with shelving and other menial tasks. My parents let me go there alone and I felt grown up and responisble being able to have this place as my own place. Among being repositories for information, community resources, and books, videos, and cds, libraries are the holders of memory, history, and rites of passage.

If you have a minute, please do check out the website. If you have two minutes, send an email to your congress people to endorse the addition of the SKILLS section to No Child Left Behind.

Someone else's Synopsis on Politics

I'm not one to follow politics too closely, so I can't ever really engage in aggressive debate on candidates. However, I did watch the debates, the DNC, and pieces of the RNC. I've read some short, but probably not the most informative, articles in the Boston Metro.

The kind of information I like to read on politics is information that is succinct about what the candidates do and don't support and more importantly, comparisons between candidates. I know there can be more to a candidate than boiling them down to these narrow focuses, but in the long run, a candidate's stance on War and Social Security is more beneficial than what a great speech maker he or she is.

Hence, I'd like to share an article discussing the ever hot topic of Palin vs. Obama vs. Biden. I came across the article this morning at the BlurboDoocery website, for those of you who don't already read it. For a Yahoo article (haha!), it gets straight to the point and takes Palin's and McCain's and other Republican supporters' comments on Palin and actually compares them to the facts that may (or in most cases may not) back up their claims.

Though Obama has been smeared as inexperienced, enabling Republicans to use this in defense of Palin, the reality is the work he has done has been GOOD work. And everything he says has been true and supported by facts. I like that.

update - for a different spin on the same facts in the above article, check this out. Found that over at Super Sobe's place. I can't BELIEVE how easy it is to manipulate facts, whether by blue, red or purple writers/thinkers.

Take the Brad outta the Brangelina

Most magazines tell us more scandal and gossip about stars than about charitable acts or other good things they do. Brad Pitt is not immune to this idle chatter of bored people. I randomly came across an online article about this amazing project he's doing and wondered why I hadn't heard about it. Lately all I've noticed is his name in blaring headlines. Poor guy, he's not even getting noticed for his own gossip or work, No no, instead, he's being chastised and criticized because of his wife, 'Angie,' and all her pregnancy hormonal misadventures.

I want to put Brad Pitt back in the good light, highlight some cool work he's done. Let's talk about his project in New Orleans, LA. A little project aptly called Make it Right. Because face it, there is nothing hotter than a HOT man doing amazing work.


Make it Right does more than just get flood and hurricane victims homes (or let's be honest here, trailers as most of them are) - Make it Right provides the difference between what a family has to pay and how much the house costs. AND, more importantly, the houses are designed to SAVE THEM MONEY and SAVE THE PLANET. Pitt, a wanna-be and lover of architecture, got 13 innovative architects to design homes that "equitable and fair and has respect and provides dignity for the family within [was] absolutely essential to rebuilding here.” Pitt talks a lot about the social injustices visited during, after, and up to this day to the people of New Orleans. He commented with "So what are you going to follow that injustice with? Crap houses with toxic materials and appliances that run up their electricity bills and may lead to a foreclosure? I mean, really." The man has a point. And luckily, he's also got the money to follow through with what he proposes. Make it Right has a goal of building 150 homes and at its inaugural ceremony, there was money to begin working on the first 70.

Yes, Brad Pitt ladies and gentleman. The man gives and gives until it HURTS. And is it so wrong if I happen to picture him out in the field, blue prints in hand, wearing this number...


Naaaah.

Book Pick and oh yeah, one more thing

June's book pick is going to be Slow Food Nation by
Carlo Peitrini



My friend from New Mexico sent an update on the yearbook situation at Clovis High School (update). The results are pretty sad.

From Clovis, NM to Boston, MA - Stop the Hate

As if being a teenager is not hard enough, imagine being a gay teenager. In the South. Close to Texas and the Bible belt. Could life get any harder? Maybe. But regardless, this teenager would have a tougher lot than most to face on a daily basis.

I want to share with you a situation happening in my friend's new, small hometown of Clovis, NM. The full story is here, but here's a synopsis - Students and staff at the Clovis high school made a conscious decision for an all inclusive yearbook (commend and AWARD these adults, also Christian believers, for not only having this conversation with students and reaching this agreement, but for being able to have their beliefs and use it as a framework to live in that does not exclude or alienate people). In the relationship section, which has always been a feature of the yearbook, they included two lesbian couples along with nine heterosexual couples. Now, some other Christian adults in the area are up in arms, to the point where businesses who put ads in the yearbook and donate money to the school are threatening to stop doing so.

What gets me the most from this article, beyond the ignorance, was the fact that gay, male couples who were asked to be included in the yearbook turned the opportunity down for fear of their personal safety. How could any parent of a child, whether gay or straight, read something like that and think it is OK for any child to feel unsafe just for being who they are? It makes me feel angry that people can let a religion warp their sense of logic, disappointed that we as a SPECIES, as PEOPLE have so many advanced technologies, intelligence and cognitive abilities, to heal and create medicines yet it can mean NOTHING if our minds, morals, and reasoning skills are still in the Dark Ages.

To allow ignorance and hate in one place against one child is to allow ignorance and hate against all children. This is how I see it and why I've always felt so strongly about the power of language and education. If you feel as disturbed or concerned as I do by this situation in a Clovis, NM high school, please feel free to send comments to the paper, to the editor, to the town, whatever you can to show some support to these teens and adults, people trying to make a difference, and perhaps to alert the bigots that they are NOT a majority.

Off soap box.

The World Is So Small

If only every life could be viewed like a movie in fast forward, maybe then we'd see how each and every decision we make ripples slowly outward from us to spread around the planet. I'm not sure if signing petitions is enough, but if Nobel Peace Prize Winner Al Gore is promoting it, sure, sign me up (that's what is called "tongue in cheek"). Joking aside, I went to the We Can Solve It Campaign website, and sent an email to my congress people asking them to support clean energy initiatives and support creating clean energy jobs.

No easing of my conscious like, yup, I saved the world in my way today, but it's something. In actuality, signing these things usually lacks satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment for me. To me, if I'm going to write, I need to actively write, which to me is a continuous effort that is published. I've been trying to lobby my local paper into letting me start some sort of weekly column devoted to sustainability efforts, but I have to "prove" myself first. I'm fortunate that I convinced the lady to let me cover the local farmer's market as a first step. My article is due June 4th and I have YET to get in touch with the farmer who runs and sets up the market. Egads! We'll see if I earn my street cred with this one.

The writing of blogs, articles, letters, etc... as a piece of the effort to create change may seem insignificant and sometimes feels futile to me. When I think too big, too globally, I may not sense the smallness of the Earth, but I sense the smallness of me and my efforts. So I try remembering that every effort needs witnesses, to reach a broader audience, and can be captured forever through the written word as countless authors have attempted to do throughout history. I try to narrow my focus to writing letters to the editor for my local paper instead of just signing these huge and anonymous petitions. Because to me, through writing, I can be an active and efficient modem for change, more so than in any other forum.

This is why I read. This is why I write. This is why I sign petitions.

What's your way?

Here's today's funny -

©Nataliedee.com

Art Now and Then

The MFA has been doing construction on a new entrance (Fenway side) for a while now. The entrance should be completed by early to mid-June. Following some new trend, the architects chose to design a more modern, contemporary entrance for the classic, older existing buildings. See those columns? Those are Ionic columns, a Greek influence dating back to the day's of Apollo, Diana, and the other Greek gods. I recently learned this through work. Editing art books does do something to improve my life! Now, I am not particularly knowledgeable in the area of architecture, but I'm guessing when making an addition to a building of this nature the architect would need to achieve a balance between the old and the new. Well, this is the idea, plan, and execution of the architect's vision for this building. First, Here's the front facade with the new side entrance -

Here is a close up of the new wing -

Am I the only one to think this is a mistake? A glaring mar on the face of the Boston art scene? This new entrance looks like a completely separate and isolated building from the existing MFA. The design has a similar feel to the ICA. Where the ICA succeeds though in being a completely contemporary space, the MFA fails trying to integrate too much contemporary with an already classic Greek style.

Boston is not the only place attempting to bring "outdated" art spaces into the 21st century. The Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester, NH underwent renovations about 3 years ago now to incorporate a contemporary addition. You'll have to look at pictures on the site to see the changes as they do not allow one to save them for personal use. Also, the Institute of Art and Sciences, also known as NHIA, rebuilt a dorm facility in a modern style, changing a standard 1920's brick facade building into this monstrosity -

Granted, I am partial to older architectural styles - for a family home I'd prefer an old Colonial or a farm house - but I can appreciate a contemporary style when tasteful and respectful to existing structures and environments. For the ICA's grand opening, I stood in line for about an hour to get in and see it. Lit up at night, the building looks like some alien space craft, hovering on the edge of the harbor. I just don't think the MFA nor the Currier have done what the ICA has done. In trying to modernize by adding a wing here or an entrance there, the grandeur of the original design is lost and the whole thing looks like someone trying to playing catch up.

Whole Foods BANS plastic

Dear Whole Foods,

Thank you for taking your crunchie, granola, hippy loving ways into action and being a little more environmentally friendly than you already were. By banning plastic bags in all of your 270 nationwide stores you will reduce the amount of plastic in landfills! Yay!

But I have one question for you - why didn't you ban...ALL BAGS in the store? Couldn't people just as easily be

forced encouraged to purchase reusable canvas satchels that Whole Foods could conveniently sell at registers if people forgot their own? (can someone please teach me how to make strike throughs that dont make my paragraph messed up? thanks)

Just a thought.

Thoughtfully yours,
A Whole Foods Canvas Satchel

Oh, oh, oh, pick me! Pick me!

Jenn, over at F n' F, has discovered a new and intriguing blog venue she has graciously shared. The new adventure is

50 states, 50 blogs, 50 bloggers



be a part of the adventure.
sign up here.

(but don't take my spot or we are no longer blog borthers)

If this don't make you quit...

Dear Duval Patrick (thanks Aaron) -

Thank you for not smoking. Thank you for encouraging others to not smoke too with this recent tax increase on cigarettes. The price went up by a $1 per pack, that's pretty good news. This means a carton of cigarettes costs $6.41, almost a 20% increase. Who wants to pay that much?!? Hopefully no one.

The opposition is throwing out some worries like - what about losing money to NH or RI (states without taxes)? what about losing money to pirated, underground sales of cigarettes? There's even the murmur of health concerns for smokers if people start buying more underground cigarettes with no inspection or approval to make sure they are truly tobacco, tar, nail polisher remover, and whatever else goes into a cigarette. While these may be valid concerns, I do appreciate the one step to making cigarettes a little less affordable, especially to teen smokers.

There will still be smokers willing to shell out the cash, I'm sure. All I have to say to them is - GROSS! You smell gross, you make me smell gross, and you force others to breath smoke when they choose not to! OFFENSIVE!

Yesterday as I was walking across a bridge, I was behind a woman pushing a carriage with two pre-teens walking beside her. The pre-teen boy had an obvious mental health problem and was silently plodding along behind the woman and the pre-teen girl. Mid conversation with the girl, the woman lights up a cigarette. Here's my evaluation of the situation: a woman working with maybe a day center for youth with mental health issues has taken some youth out for a day at the children's museum. These are not even her kids (I know from listening to the conversation she was having) and she lights up! And there was a freakin' toddler with them too. I don't know if it's just me, but this situation seemed SO WRONG. Not only was she subjecting youth in her care to her second hand smoke, but she was subjecting me to her second hand smoke AND her thoughtlessness! And the young, impressionable girl at her side took it all in and who knows how she processed the happening.

Mr. Patrick, if there is anything you could do to stop this from ever happening to innocent youth, I would appreciate it. Until then, thanks for doing your part.

Respectfully submitted by,
A Non-Smoker

Earth Day is Every Day

To the New York Times Magazine -

Thanks for putting out a special Green Issue to commemorate this year's Earth Day. This year's green edition was titled 'The Low-Carbon Catalog - bold steps to reduce your carbon footprint,' or something like that. This is not your first time acknowledging the green movement, so you get my respect for bringing important information to the masses.

Wendell Berry, a pioneer of the movement for reducing humans' impact on the soil/earth, was quoted by Michael Pollan in his call-to-arms opening article as saying - "'we can go on as before, recognizing our dishonesty and living with it the best we can, or we can begin the effort to change the way we think and live.'"

NYT Magazine, you did a great job with this issue. You took Berry's and Pollan's siren call of personal action to heart and set out step-by-step instructions on every day things people can do to help lower their carbon emissions. You even broke it down into sections [Act, Eat, Invent, Live, Move] to make this issue an easy reference guide for any beginner in the green movement. Thank you, NYT Magazine.

And to every one of us out there already doing any little thing we can to change our impact on this planet, keep up the work. No matter what, don't give up. The effects of our efforts are not always seen or felt directly, but they matter. To whom? If no one else, to ME damn it! You and your efforts matter to me. And my actions matter to ME too. 9and if you want to be held accountable to me too, let me know in a comment and we can start our own Green Support Network)

At the end of the day, the only person I am fully accountable to is me and I want to be happy with who I am and what I've done. I keep trying when I fail and that's all each of us can do. Keep trying.

Happy (Be-lated) Earth Day.

Love,
A Tree Hugger

Brita Takes the Flack

Dear Brita Filter -

We the people of the United Brita Filter Users demand change. We are on to you and your sneaky ways. Recycling in Europe, but not here, here on the continent that uses the MOST of your filters and creates the MOST trash out of any developed nation. Well, my word, how illogical and unreasonable.

Fake Plastic Fish has started a campaign. Brita, you better watch your back because this woman's smarter than you. For some reason, you changed the design of the filter from being replaceable, as it is over seas, to being one time only use here. Fake Plastic Fish points out some logic - if you can do it one place, Brita, why not every where you sell products?

Being a Brita filter user myself (yeah, I love that dirty water, Boston), I'd love to see one less piece of plastic sitting in a landfill. Head over to the Take Back the Filter site to sign the petition. AND Fake Plastic Fish has even upped the ante for people by making it easier. She is saying we can send her our used filters (only Brita filters though folks, one cause at a time). This way, when Brita receives said petition signed by hundreds of thousands of people AND a butt load of their own waste back, I think they'll get the picture and think of a solution. Send filters to -

Take Back The Filter
5245 College Avenue, Box #815
Oakland, CA 94618

There is an option and instructions on how to refill the disposable filter. I don't know how easy or safe it is, and you have to purchase your own carbon something or other which is part of the mix that goes into the filter...Some may be bold and daring, so give it a try and tell us how it worked out.

Otherwise, Brita, if you don't change, our relationship. is. over.

Sincerely,
A Conscientious Consumer

ps. take a minute to do the survey up left there...

Bye Bye Bike

Dear Ghanaian resident,

I hope whoever you are that you enjoy the bike I donated to you yesterday. There's this really cool organization, Bikes Not Bombs, who have been bringing bikes like mine to youth who need them. They started here in Boston, spread to Southern towns, and are now coming to you in Africa. It's a pretty exciting and new idea - teach people to ride, build, and share bikes as transportation, business, and recreation.

My bike is a Schwinn Caliente. There's a bike rack on the rear. I picture you, Ghanaian resident, riding around with a crate tied there, the crate filled with things you need for home or school or work. I hope it rides smoothly for you for many years to come. Enjoy.

Peace,
Bike Donor

Are there no limits?

To the Paranoia inducing Government of the US of A -

Signing on to the world wide web to check my yahoo email (ancient), this news alert greeted me -

"'Text messaging on mobile devices has grown from banter between teenagers to a new emergency notification system for cell phones, as approved Wednesday by the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC said the new rules "'support the ability of the nation's wireless carriers to transmit timely and accurate alerts, warnings and critical information to the cell phones and other mobile devices of consumers during disasters or other emergencies." The policy meets the requirements of the federal Warning, Alert and Response Network Act, whose acronym is, appropriately, WARN.'"

Already there are GPS components in most cell phones. At any given time I could be found via satellite, a somewhat comforting thought when I am winter hiking in the White Mtns. or doing something on my own. Somewhat paranoia inducing because..I can be found by satellite at any time. I've been told "Erikka, do you have something to hide? Who cares?" My response, No, but that's not the point. Anyone who has seen Enemy of the State will understand my concern. A seemingly non-invasive chip can suddenly be turned into a tracking device at any time for any reason.

Then comes the new FCC passing of emergency text messages. The government buying access to frequencies to transmit "life saving information." Right...if I learned one thing from watching Legends of the Fall, it was from Anthony Hopkins. When his son told him he was running for Senate he asked his son and his band of men, "And what do these gentlemen hope to gain if you are elected?...you have asked yourself that question?" What else does the FCC get access to in buying an air frequency?

Maybe I'm paranoid. I hope so. Otherwise, I'm going into hiding G'vment man...and leaving my cell phone behind.


Yours truly,
Paranoid Conspiracy Loving Lady